Alabama man, 49, 'distraught over breakup with his girlfriend' shoots himself in the head in horrifying suicide streamed on Facebook Live

  • James M. Jeffrey, 49, shot himself in the head while live-streaming on Facebook
  • Jeffrey's girlfriend alerted police on Tuesday that he was not responding to calls 
  • Police say that Jeffrey and the woman were in the process of breaking up
  • Jeffrey shot himself in the head while deputies were on his way to his home
  • Horrified viewers on Facebook alerted authorities 

By ARIEL ZILBER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

Published: | Updated:

A 49-year-old Alabama man live-streamed himself committing suicide on Facebook because he was distraught over a break-up, authorities say. 

James M. Jeffrey from Robertsdale was in the middle of a broadcast on Tuesday when he suddenly took his gun and shot himself in the head.

Horrified viewers who were watching at the time then notified the police, according to AL.com.

It is the latest in a string of horrifying acts that have been filmed and streamed live on social media.

James M. Jeffrey (above), 49, began streaming himself live on Facebook Tuesday when he suddenly took his gun and shot himself in the head

James M. Jeffrey (above), 49, began streaming himself live on Facebook Tuesday when he suddenly took his gun and shot himself in the head

The Baldwin County Sheriff's Office reported that they had received a call from a woman who was concerned that Jeffrey, a resident of Robertsdale, had stopped responding to phone calls

The Baldwin County Sheriff's Office reported that they had received a call from a woman who was concerned that Jeffrey, a resident of Robertsdale, had stopped responding to phone calls

Jeffrey and the woman were reportedly in the process of breaking up

Jeffrey and the woman were reportedly in the process of breaking up

The Baldwin County Sheriff's Office said they received a call from a woman who was concerned that Jeffrey had stopped responding to her phone calls.

Jeffrey and the woman were reportedly in the process of breaking up.

As sheriff's deputies headed to Jeffrey's home at approximately 11pm on Tuesday, 'the Sheriff's Office Communications Division received reports that Jeffrey committed suicide and filmed the event on Facebook Live.'

The sheriff's office said that Jeffrey's suicide was viewed over 1,000 times before it was finally removed from Facebook two hours later. 

As sheriff's deputies were headed to Jeffrey's home at approximately 11pm on Tuesday, 'the Sheriff's Office Communications Division received reports that Jeffrey committed suicide and filmed the event on Facebook Live'

As sheriff's deputies were headed to Jeffrey's home at approximately 11pm on Tuesday, 'the Sheriff's Office Communications Division received reports that Jeffrey committed suicide and filmed the event on Facebook Live'

Jeffrey is the latest person to use live-streaming to film a sickening act, a problem that has prompted a backlash against the tool. 

A Thai man filmed himself killing his 11-month-old daughter in two video clips posted on Facebook before committing suicide, police said Tuesday.

People could access the videos of the child's murder on her father's Facebook page for roughly 24 hours, until they were taken down around 5pm Tuesday in Bangkok, or about a day after being uploaded.

'This is an appalling incident and our hearts go out to the family of the victim,' a Singapore-based Facebook spokesman said in an email to Reuters. 

'There is absolutely no place for content of this kind on Facebook and it has now been removed.'  

A Thai man filmed himself killing his 11-month-old daughter in two video clips posted on Facebook before committing suicide, police said Tuesday

A Thai man filmed himself killing his 11-month-old daughter in two video clips posted on Facebook before committing suicide, police said Tuesday

On April 16, Steve Stephens posted a video of himself shooting dead 74-year-old foundry worker Robert Godwin in the street in Cleveland
On April 16, Steve Stephens posted a video of himself shooting dead 74-year-old foundry worker Robert Godwin in the street in Cleveland

On April 16, Steve Stephens posted a video of himself shooting dead 74-year-old foundry worker Robert Godwin (above) in the street in Cleveland

In a separate case on Monday, a Swedish court jailed two Afghan men, aged 21 and 18, and a Swedish 21-year-old for gang raping a woman and live-streaming the attack on Facebook.

The men were arrested in the town of Uppsala northwest of Stockholm on January 22 after members of a closed Facebook group, which has 60,000 members, alerted police.

The film has been removed from Facebook but it has been circulated on the internet. The US firm says it is finding ways for its review team, which employs thousands of people, to react quicker to such content.

On April 16, Steve Stephens posted a video of himself shooting dead 74-year-old foundry worker Robert Godwin in the street in Cleveland. 

It could be viewed for two hours before being taken down.  

In early April, a 14-year-old boy was arrested over the sexual assault of a 15-year-old Chicago girl that was streamed live on Facebook.  

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